Evans Off Camber – Fuel To The Fire

Justifiable anger is the dubious luxury of normal men

Okay, kids, we need to talk. However, before we discuss the videos below, we need to stipulate a couple things: First, the motorcyclist’s action that precipitated this series of events was illegal. Lane splitting is against the law in Florida. Yes, what he did was trivial but still illegal. Second, the car driver’s reaction was so over-the-top-disproportionate to the motorcyclist’s actions that he clearly has other issues in play. What we need to look at in this road rage video, not to mock or to lay blame but, rather, to identify and learn from, is how the rider essentially threw gasoline on a conflagration. He was extremely lucky to escape unharmed and without injuring others.

The first video the rider released begins mid-event. We’ll look at second video that reveals how it started in a bit, but for now, consider that this is how the driver made his unstable personality known to the rider. Simply put, this event should have been over after the first 30 seconds of the video. The rider has obviously done something to upset the driver since he cuts off the motorcyclist twice in the first 12 seconds. Following his first instinct, the rider wisely tries to get away, using the superior acceleration of the motorcycle. However, 28 seconds in, when he arrives at a stoplight and gets cut off for the third time, there is a gas station immediately on his right. The prudent thing to do would have been to pull in, get off his bike, and walk inside the store. He could document with his helmet cam any damage the driver does to his bike, and if the driver tries to escalate things, he’ll have witnesses. Let’s not forget that convenience store clerks are well acquainted with how to get in touch with the police quickly.

A driver who behaves this recklessly will only escalate things if you engage them. Find a safe place with witnesses.

Instead, the rider runs again. Pro tip: If you’re riding on the far edge of the road with oncoming traffic coming between you and the person you’re trying to get away from, you’re doing something wrong. A Southernism I learned in high school applies here: “If you’re already in a hole, there’s no use to continue digging.” So many problems in our lives and the lives of others could’ve been avoided if we’d only heeded that advice.

So, the rider takes off on suburban streets at speeds of over 130 mph. Now, he’s endangering himself and others and likely exacerbating the problem in the driver’s eyes by impinging his manhood and trying to ditch him. Fortunately, the situation ends after a of “Fck you!” “No, f*ck you!” exchange at the 3:20 mark. Far too many people have these as their last words. (Probably on the same order of magnitude as, “Hold my beer and watch this.”) The rider was very lucky.

You don’t need to watch too much of the prequel to the road rage video, just 0:44–1:15 will suffice. The car driver had a bad reaction to the motorcyclist filtering in front of him at a stop light, an illegal action that a police officer on the other side of the intersection chose to ignore. Once the light turns green, the car driver passes aggressively in a display of his “rightful” indignation. This would have likely been the end of it and prevented the next video and its high-speed chase if the rider had just let it go. Instead, he slaps the car’s mirror and speeds off, sending the unstable driver over the edge into road rage. The driver makes his first attempt to cut off the rider at 1:44 – again with a gas station and the opportunity to have witnesses nearby. Wash, rinse, repeat.

So, what did we learn in class, today? First, a seemingly trivial action can send an unstable person into a rage. Whether you, the rider, feel that the rage is justified doesn’t matter. A car is bigger and heavier than you and your bike. If you’re injured or dead, does it really matter if you were right? Second – and this is the hard part for any human, myself included – don’t engage. Lord knows, I’ve given in to my own temper and, occasionally, learned from it the hard way.

Finally, if attempting to get away from the crazy person isn’t working, find a place with lots of people to stop and seek protection in the herd. If the angry idiot foaming at the mouth calls you chicken, say, “Yeah, I’m afraid of you because angry people do irrational things, and I don’t want to be a mistake you regret.” Or just keep your mouth shut and don’t engage.

In a dangerous situation, keeping a lid on your anger will help you to process information faster and prevent the altercation from escalating.

Ironically, I encountered an angry, old, white man (you know the demographic), yesterday, while parking my truck in front of the post office. In the space that could’ve accommodated about 2.3 Tacomas, he parked, as I waited for him, with so much room behind his rear bumper that, although I could fit in front of him, it was gonna be tight. As I backed into the space, he laid into the horn. Thinking it was someone in one of the cars that was waiting for me to finish parallel parking, I continued to move into the space. The driver of the other Tacoma jumped out and started screaming that I was going to hit his truck. I calmly said that I was not going to hit him because my truck, like his of the same model, has a backup camera. As he continued screaming at me, I said, “I’m really sorry you’re having a bad day, but I was not going to hit you.” He responded with veins bulging out from his neck, “I’m not having a bad day, you f*cking asshole!” then turned on his heel, got back in his truck, and drove away. I guess he didn’t need to go to the Post Office after all. Yeah, I wish that I’d been wearing a helmet cam to record this.

Watch out. The crazies are out there. Don’t stoop to their level.

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Gary

I’m glad you said it, Evans, because it needed to be said. When it comes to road rage, even if you win, you lose. And that goes triple if you are on a bike. Win the confrontation, go to jail. Lose and it goes downhill from there. Much wiser to just let it go. Be the better man (or woman). Just …… let it go. And if you doubt there are bat$hit crazies out there, try hitch-hiking across large expanses of country. It will forever change how you view your fellow motorists.

Sentinel

Great article and great advice Evans. On a side note, Lane-Splitting should be decriminalized nationwide immediately, but that’s getting into another topic. Now as for this motorcyclist, legal or not, lane-splitting is the right and safe thing to do for a rider; so I have no problem with that. Nonsensical laws that endanger people’s lives are illegitimate to begin with. What I think likely touched off the rage of the sociopath in the car was that after splitting, the rider got “in-front” of the car rather than staying in-between cars as he should have. So why did he do that? One possibility and a likely one is that as the rider was splitting up to the front he noticed the cop facing him across the street, and thought that if he pulled back into the lane rather than sitting in-between the cop wouldn’t notice.

As for those ignorant politicians and the ignorant and selfish
non-riding public, to not decriminalize Lane-Splitting in their
state, they are effectively causing the unnecessary deaths of many
riders there, plain and simple.

Starmag

I might be inclined to take you seriously if you provided a link for your stated “facts” and “studies”.

Any other laws you recommend breaking?

FreelancerMG

For the first, that one is generally a duh because it’s awfully hard for the vehicle next to you to teleport behind you and then hit you. Especially since most of the usually lane splitting overseas is usually just of the filtering sort where traffic is going very slow to stopped. What should be more amazing is that particular statistic does imply that some people were rear-ended while lane splitting.

The second point is another duh! like the first. If you’re talking about Europe, most of the splitting is usually done at very low traffic speeds or at stopped intersections. A relatively light tap from the side of a car trying to change lanes at the last moment is a lot different than some dude rear ending a motorcyclist.

Lastly, these are statistics based and at best, can only provide corollary and not causation.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for legalized lane splitting. I’m just not a fan of potentially shady statistics dictating laws instead of just plain old logic. Statistics should just be the pointing finger, not the smoking gun.

Tinwoods

30+ years of daily riding (mostly in Los Angeles) is all the proof I need that lane-splitting/sharing is perfectly safe and helps prevent traffic jams when you do it correctly.

Ser Samsquamsh

Reduce any scenario ad absurdum: if literally everyone used motorbikes and scooters there would never EVER be a traffic jam. Roads would last longer. Public fuel usage would lower or remain the same at worst. Sure there would be casualties (riding a bike is hard!) but someone on a scooter can’t kill a school bus of kids.

Inevitable conclusion: all citizens MUST ride a bike an have a 45. LAW!

SRMark

Valuable writing. Thanks.

Uncommon Sense

This video demonstrates why lane splitting will never be legalized. Seems the whole thing was touched off by the cager getting upset a bike got in front of him at the light. I’ve dealt with this nonsense in Chicago. I’ve filtered to the front of 1/4 mile traffic jam of traffic going absolutely no where to have a guy like that cager literally try to do everything in a passive aggressive manner to block my path.

The biker was an idiot for just not pulling over or avoiding the situation, but I encounter these kinds of cagers on a daily basis. There are a lot crazy mofos out there.

Starmag

Right or wrong, I’ve had it explained to me by non riders like this: say you’ve been waiting for a long time in a line to buy concert tickets and some one shows up at the last minute and skips to the front of the line. They see it as not waiting your turn. Rude.

FreelancerMG

Then you should calmly explain to that person that it’s more like the person cut in through the front of the line to go to the bathroom while you went on to get concert tickets. The rider probably isn’t going to the same place as you so who cares what that rider is doing? People are way too aggressive in this country sometimes with the constant pressure to “win” at everything they have a hard time just letting things go. The funny thing is, these are the same people who wont do or say a damn thing when someone actually does cut in front of them in line since they aren’t in the protection that two tons of steel and a motor affords. I’ve said it many times before but give the meek a gross advantage in strength that they aren’t used to and be prepared when a repressed monster comes out.

MikeinDenver

Those non-riders are idiots. If someone is going to take a form of transportation that lessons traffic for EVERYONE they should be applauded. But instead cagers in 49 states are just jerks and idiots about it.

Starmag

38 m pop in Cal, 318 m pop in US = 280 m jerks and idiots?

Tinwoods

Once more, but in English?

GPAltaBob

Sorry MikeinDenver! In this case the rider is the jerk and idiot, firstly for openly violating the law, and for provoking the guy in the car (the cager as you so insultingly refer to him). If the immature moron on the bike hadn’t done what he had done, none of this would ever happened. Sure, the guy in the car didn’t react very well, but the rider caused the entire problem, and kept making it worse as he went! And that’s said by a rider who probably has more safe years riding experience that you’ve been alive!

Tinwoods

Not for riders. We get special dispensation for riding. We’re saving the environment operating something that pollutes less, we’re more in danger of the idiots in cars yammering or texting on their phones, and we can split, so we do. Buy a motorcycle and join the club, otherwise play by your car rules, not our motorcycle rules.

Gary

Utter nonsense. I lane split every day in California. No problem … so long as you do it right and don’t lose your cool.

Uncommon Sense

You totally missed my point. It isn’t a matter of you lane splitting properly. In the other 49 states, drivers aren’t used to it and view it as unfair. This entire incident is because the cager got pissed that the bike “cut in front of me” even though the bike is using space to free up traffic and going places a car cannot. It is nothing more than jealousy. I support lane splitting, but realistically I don’t see it being legalized due to people being selfish.

badluckbill

In California, the practice of lane splitting is practiced on Freeways only. Filtering, or cramming as many motorcycles between the cars waiting at stop signs or red lights on surface streets is not practiced. Most riders in California are well aware that permission to lane split is hanging by a thread and will be discontinued if abused. Please do not come to California and do your filtering at intersections.

If that ever happens I more than deserve it. If it were to happend I’d apparently been slipped a mickey or having a stroke or something. No f’n way would I’d ride that stupidly.

http://www.motorcycle.com/ Sean Alexander

Wow Bill. Are you under the impression that the video you posted is an example of filtering? The reality is it’s an example of reckless operation and an complete disregard for personal safety and the safety of our fellow man. If I posted a video of someone shooting wildly while spinning in a 360 and spraying crowds of people, would that mean by extension that all shooting is dangerous and irresponsible?

Evans Brasfield

Maybe not as widely practiced as on the freeway, but filtering is still done. I think it is most likely because the lanes can be a good bit narrower around town, but when there’s room, I do it. You can see a video of safe filtering near the end of my Innovv Camera review sample video.

That is incorrect. I don’t know where you live, but you obviously don’t live where most of the California motorcyclists live: Los Angeles. Here, we filter anywhere it is safe do do so. I have been a daily rider for over 30 years, most of those here in LA, and I have never had a problem filtering/splitting on city streets and neither have all the other riders I have ever seen sharing the road with me.

badluckbill

Forgive me for not living in Los Angeles. I live in the Sacramento area. You make a good case why California needs to be split into about seven states. You are fortunate that neither you nor the riders you have seen have ever had a problem in 30 years. I sincerely hope you and all the riders you have seen have another 30 years of trouble-free riding.

Ian Parkes

You seem a bit anxious. Are you sure you should be riding?

Ian Parkes

Common nonsense. It is legal in lots of places.

GPAltaBob

But, ask yourself, WHO STARTED IT? The biker that blatantly broke the law and rode like a possessed moron, or the guy that reacted improperly?

fzrider

From what I see, when they leave the red light it becomes a race to be in front. At that point the bike should have backed off and let the car speed ahead. Problem solved. The bike could easily pass him later. Traffic was not heavy.

Unfortunately two dicks got in a pissing match. No one got hurt, but my guess is those two are not gonna change and sooner or later both will hurt themselves or someone else.

GPAltaBob

Yup, ride with a camera so you can show the world just exactly how effen stupid you are! Good plan!!

fzrider

It’ll be okay if you’re not “effen stupid”.

JMDonald

The underlying psychopathy inherent on both sides of this incident should give us all pause. Dangerous behavior all the way round. Apparently if someone is doing something on the road you don’t like it’s worth dying for. People like this need to be culled from the herd. The world is a dangerous place my friends. Heads up helmets on. They are all out to get us.

http://www.motou.info Gabe Ets-Hokin

Let’s not forget the real cause of this was probably just having to live in Florida.

Seriously, awesome story, Evans, and a great reminder that this can happen to anybody, anytime…even yours truly. I won’t give too many details, but on my way to teach, of all things, a motorcycle safety class, I had a similar incident, except I was the one chasing down the motorist with my motorcycle! The incident ended with me getting punched (deservedly) in the face, which is a humbling experience that everybody should have to go through once a year.

Several years ago I read a book on risk, which described, among other risk-related phenomena, a human propensity to underestimate risks associated with familiar instrumentalities (e.g., gasoline, tobacco, firearms, cars, alcohol, the flu) and to overestimate the risks related to unfamiliar causes (e.g., SARS, Ebola, Terrorists).

Drivers don’t fully appreciate the forces a car or truck bring to bear, nor do drivers fully appreciate the risks related to driving. People drive crazy, in part, because familiarity has blinded them to the risks. Compared with riding in a car, motorcyclists feel exposed and more accurately assess the risks around them.

I studied martial arts for many years and sparred in a controlled environment regularly. I have to agree there’s something unexpectedly therapeutic about getting hit. A good shot definitely puts one in the moment. Or, maybe it’s the adrenaline.

http://www.motorcycle.com/ Sean Alexander

It’s the adrenaline for sure. Not getting hit is definitely the recommended course of action, generate the adrenaline through hot nasty, reckless velocity.

GPAltaBob

It’s not so much the adrenaline Sean, It’s mainly the riders stupidity!!!!

Ser Samsquamsh

Falling off my motorcycle periodically is strangely therapeutic. Turns out not ever accident is a limb rending Hollywood explosion. I low sided in front of an elderly gentleman one autumn morning (cold tires) and I was genuinely worried he was going to have a heart attack. I ended up with a good bruise that I successfully hid from my dear partner:)

Prakasit

Not too many articles on the Internet make me stop and think. This one did. Every once in a while, we all need to be reminded what is really important in life.

Alexander Pityuk

This dumb rider got very, very lucky to survive the incident. Were I the driver, I would kill that bastard for hitting the mirror. You can flame and play game as much as you want, but you don’t touch my f%$#g property! Big no-no.
If speaking seriously, they are both nuts, but the driver seems slightly more adequate. In numerous close engagements he managed to not hit the rider.

FreelancerMG

The rider only struck the mirror after the driver took multiple swerves at him and forced him into the next lane and then still repeatedly tried to bounce the rider off the side of his car. Obviously if you try to kill someone using your car as the weapon, you probably don’t give a flying F!@# about the mirror at that point.

http://www.motou.info Gabe Ets-Hokin

You would take the life of a stranger for hitting your mirror? Really?

http://www.motorcycle.com/ Sean Alexander

No not really, note: “If speaking seriously, they are both nuts…”

MikeinDenver

You clearly do not ride a motorcycle. Take your uninformed self elsewhere.

GPAltaBob

And you do? Making a comment like that is an embarrassment to every mature, adult, conscientious rider everywhere! This entire fiasco was started by the rider, and continued by the rider. If he had been riding in a sane and sensible way none of this would have ever happened! Sure, the guy in the car was an idiot, but not nearly as big an idiot as the moron on the bike that started it all! And BTW, I’ve been riding for over 50 years and have never provoked that kind of road rage in anybody! Some of us just need to grow up a wee bit!!

Ian Parkes

As if any more proof was needed that jerks like that are everywhere, lo, even on the internet.

Alexander Pityuk

Sarcasm not detected. Okay.. I’ve even put a hint in the beginning of 2d paragraph for people like you, but whatever…

Ian Parkes

Oh. I was completely taken in by your subtlety.

Ian Parkes

Hey, just noticed my reply didn’t take: You got me. I was completely taken in by your subtlety.

John B.

I don’t know how both men survived this incident unharmed, but I do understand why these incidents occur and escalate so quickly.

Non-motorcyclists don’t realize being cut off intentionally while riding a motorcycle is an existential threat to the rider. When threatened, we do what comes natural; fight or flight. Moreover, when threatened, our bodies reprioritize various functions to sharpen those faculties needed for battle. Since fighting does not require high-level cognition, the part of the brain that involves higher cognitive function goes into power-save mode. As such, we should not feel badly for not thinking in these situations. We’re programmed not to think when attacked. We’re programmed to fight.

Unfortunately, fighting comes with risks, and, as Evans discusses, is not the best way to resolve a road rage incident. The only way to react properly when your body is in fight or flight mode is to practice what to do in advance. You literally don’t have the capacity to think on your feet in these situations. Rather, you must follow a pre-rehearsed plan.

Shortly after I started riding a driver cut me off intentionally as we approached a red light, and then glared at me through his rearview mirror. I dropped my kickstand, and was about to jump off my bike, drag the guy out of his car, and pound him senseless. Then, I remembered I was carrying a firearm.

Over the years, I have reinforced in my brain to avoid conflicts when carrying a gun. Any conflict can be fatal when one or more participants have a gun, and I don’t want to use deadly force unless there is no reasonable alternative. I stayed on my bike, but could feel my blood boiling. I didn’t gesture toward the driver or do anything, but it was not easy. I thought briefly about following him home, but quickly let that thought go.

It’s critical to decide in advance how you will handle a road rage incident, and then make a mental commitment to follow that plan. The middle of an emergency is the worst time to come up with a plan.

When a natural force like a tornado kills people, no one blames the tornado. I try to think of morons on the road as forces of nature rather than as human beings trying to kill me. Whatever works…..

Great article Evans.

http://www.motorcycle.com/ Sean Alexander

John, please drop me a line: sean@motorcycle.com we’re currently working on a “Riding with a Gun” feature story and would like to interview you.

Chris

Interesting. And way beyond just motorcycling…Way beyond. Do it well.

DickRuble

We always wanted a feature on “Riding loaded”. Then please consider one also on “Bible thumpers”.

http://www.motorcycle.com/ Sean Alexander

Yeah, we’ll dabble in politics and firearms from time to time, but my own personal leanings aside, as a publication we simply aren’t going to touch religion with a 10 meter cattle prod.

Gruf Rude

. . . and this would be about born-again single-cylinder riders?

kenneth_moore

I’m looking forward to reading it. As a daily rider in South Florida (who filters forward and splits lanes regularly), the possibility of armed drivers is frequently on my mind. I really don’t see myself joining in with the “packing” crowd, but I sure do think about it from time to time.

Ser Samsquamsh

Guns are effectively useless as defense. It’s the nuclear option

ColoradoS14

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes…

Agokne

Lethal force warrants an equal or greater response.

Evans Brasfield

That would be true if all you wanted to prove was who had the biggest dangly male appendage. Additionally, isn’t that the logic behind tit-for-tat gang killings. How are those working for the gang members and those unfortunate enough to be in their general vicinity?

Instead, I posit that de-escalation of the situation offers the highest chance of a positive outcome for all those involved.

http://www.motorcycle.com/ Sean Alexander

One of you is talking about long-term strategic security and the other is referring to short-term tactical security. Different situations call for entirely different responses. Blanket statements supporting one course of action in the absolute cannot in fact be the right answer for all circumstances.

Ser Samsquamsh

Best not to incite this kind of thing but if it happens accidentally (like one time I gave a guy a friendly wave for letting me in the merge lane and he utterly lost his mind and started swerving all over the road) Getting off your bike and hiding in the lee of a telephone pole is much smarter than running. If that car driving idiot gets out of his cage and finds I’m 6’2″ with armor that will cool his heels pretty quick.

Ian Parkes

That doesn’t make sense – and its an absurdity.

Ser Samsquamsh

Lol: Greater than lethal? Like you start killing random civilians in the area to prove your point? Maybe break the laws of physics and collapse his car into a gravitational singularity?

Agokne

Some sheep just don’t get it. Understood.

Ser Samsquamsh

Are you talking about not understanding punctuation? Sheep can’t operate a motor vehicle so they rarely suffer road rage.

Mark Dickinson

Wow. The car driver should have let that go. The mc rider pulled up next to him and in front a bit. Just let it go people! It’s not worth all that! Yes. In the state of Florida the mc rider should have just hung back and not split the lane… that isn’t lawful in that state. The mc rider would have easily passed this car a short distance after the light.

TC

Am I the only person seeing this MoRon riding his motorcycle in the oncoming traffic lane? He could have easily caused several crashes, completely unrelated to the initial incident. His aggresive riding started this whole thing, and his self destructive idiocy is very clear. I’d be surprised if he is still alive. Some of the blame for this can be laid on all the motorcycle magazines that glorify using the public streets as your own personal racetrack, that’s a terrible message to send to impressionable young riders. Yes I ride, hundreds of thousands of miles.

GPAltaBob

TC, you are about the only one to make intelligent comments on here! I agree 100% that all the blame in this belongs on the idiot rider! He started it all, and continued it way belong the sensible range!

http://www.motorcycle.com/ Sean Alexander

If you see an asshole running terrified for his life from another asshole, I’m not sure how you can draw the conclusion that he is 100% responsible for the actions of his pursuer. He WAS being pursued by a 3,500 LB car driven by an enraged human who appeared intent on killing him. It doesn’t in any excuse the victim’s riding, nor his initial actions that triggered the aggressor, BUT he was in fact running for his life and the aggressor was creating the one creating the hazard after the initial interaction.

TC

Legally, if you are fleeing from a crime and you cause an accident that kills someone, you are going to be charged with murder, in addition to the original crime. I hope the appropriate law enforcement agency reviews this video and charges both these drivers. Neither one of them has any business driving a vehicle.

http://www.motorcycle.com/ Sean Alexander

Both were charged.

Asshole #1 Rone Gonzalez, 23, was riding the motorcycle in the video and is charged with reckless driving (riding), which is a misdemeanor in Florida. He bonded out of jail yesterday morning. Asshole #2 Kristiian Rosa, was the driver of the car in the video, and is charged with FELONY Aggravated Assault with a motor vehicle along with misdemeanor reckless driving. Rosa received a combined $8,000 bond but remained behind bars as of yesterday.

Chris Carson

TC, do us a favor and ride without a helmet.

TC

What’s that supposed to mean? You disagree with someone, so you wish that they get hurt or killed? Nice.

Chris Carson

Lane splitting was the crime here right? Did that warrant another person with a 2500lb car to drive erratically trying to hit the motorcyclist? That can be viewed as attempted murder in some cases. You forget, the driver of the car broke just as many laws trying to “teach” the motorcyclist a lesson.

TC

Reckless driving is the crime.

Lisandro De Mayo

Both drivers were arrested. Rider got reckless driving, and the driver got assault and endangerment.

I don’t see how this relates to this article. Despite the news item asking if road rage was involved, the video appears to show something different. To the point of my article, you should pull over _safely_ in a place with other people who can witness the actions of the out of control person. I would recommend pulling into a parking lot or a gas station that is off the road to keep something like what this link shows.

talonz51

Both are roadrage involving a motorcyclist being chased by a car driver. One runs, the other stops, and pays a steep price for doing so. Witnesses cannot prevent a vehicular assault on a largely defenceless motorcyclist.

c w

Getting off of the road to a public place like a business parking lot reduces the likelihood of being hit with the car. There could very well still be an altercation, but it’s more likely to be between humans instead of between humans in/on machines.

is it a guarantee? No. If you can do so without endangering others, it is probably a better idea. Any way you can let the aggressor feel like he/she has “won” (conceding the road to them), is usually a good way to get them to move on. If you are observant, you can report the vehicle to local authorities (with admittedly varying degrees of concern).

The hard part for the average person with hormones of various types pumping is finding the quickest most direct way out of the situation.

http://www.motorcycle.com/ Sean Alexander

I’m with Talon on this one. The first time someone darts their steel cage at my soft body is the moment when I delete the option of sitting still for them to actually hit me with it. I would have ridden differently than this rider, but I assure I would have broken all the speed laws in my departure from the situation.

Evans Brasfield

You don’t pull over right in front of the raging cager – or worse, wobble back into his path like the rider in this video. Who knows how that guy was driving to repeatedly catch up with the rider, but it must have been ugly.

http://www.motorcycle.com/ Sean Alexander

The rider in the video never had the option to pull-over NOT in front of the raging driver, he was being actively pursued and never broke-contact enough to pull over without risking being rammed or run-over.

Evans Brasfield

I disagree. At the 30-second mark, the rider accelerates around the outside of the driver, who was in front of him, instead of slowing more and turning into the gas station that was right there. There are a few other similar situations throughout the two videos.

http://www.motorcycle.com/ Sean Alexander

Ok, I will absolutely concede that point, tactically, the rider should have pulled into the gas station and parked his bike right up on the walkway against the front of the store and ran inside.

Ser Samsquamsh

Being a sanctimonious rider is a terrible negotiating position. When someone tells me I am insane for riding a bike (which might be true) I rejoin with, “People travel to Spain to run with the Bulls.” I do that everyday. The point is that, insane as it is, the danger is an intrinsic attraction. Recognize that and you probably would be safer.

That said I am firmly in the attgatt, safety-fluorescent-gear-uncle category y’all invented.

GPAltaBob

Perhaps, just maybe, if the rider had used a bit of common sense and obeyed the law to start with, ya think maybe this might never have happened? Ya think??

talonz51

?

Who did what is irrelevant if some driver in a 4,000 pound automobile loses it and decides he wants to use it as a weapon.

Scott Cronan

Good stuff. .. a logical and unbiased read here. Road rage is a serious thing and obviously a bit more dangerous when it’s car vs motorcycle. One part of the video I find unnerving is to think how and what the driver of the car did to repeatedly catch up to the bike.. Anyway like I said a good article hopefully some people will get the message. Stay safe Out there.

Jack Loganbill

The original lane split was done in front of a police officer. The driver is insane. But the rider should have pulled into a parking lot rather than endangering himself and other motorists. He is very lucky he was not injured or worse…

Jason Moore

I’m just trying to figure out how a Ford Fusion was going 135 mph Lol. I had a guy in a Civic try to run me down once and he just kept getting smaller and smaller. You don’t see too many compact sedans that can run 160 plus… guy must have had the SHO model.

GPAltaBob

I think the idiot on the bike was just a very shitty rider!

http://www.motorcycle.com/ Sean Alexander

I suspect he was running much shorter gearing (maybe a giant stunter rear sprocket) than stock and fooling his gear and rpm based speedo.

fzrider

Was it showing kph maybe?

Gruf Rude

When short-tempered idiots clash . . .

GPAltaBob

I’ve ridden motorcycles for 55+ years, and as far as I’m concerned this idiot rider should be suspended for life! Not only did his childish actions endanger his own life, they endangered every other person on those streets and roads! As far as I’m concerned there is no excuse for acting this stupidly! He needs his nuts kicked! I’ve noticed so many other commenters here try to justify this retarded riders retarded actions but there is no justification for what he did!!! All you can swear at me and call me names, but you know, deep down, that I’m right! Oh, and in closing, I apologize for calling this guy retarded! That’s an insult to the actually mentally handicapped people of our society!

sgray44444

interesting article. I’ll share one of my life-changing run-ins for those who might care:
I was riding a rural Ohio highway one weekend. It’s my favorite local loop, as it runs along a natural ridge and dips in and out of canyons. It’s both scenic and relaxing while being a fun ride at 10-20 over the posted speed limit. I was on my Speed Triple, feeling the groove, enjoying the day, until I came upon a very large piece of farm equipment (large enough I could almost ride under it) being followed by a car with flashers on. The road at this point was in a valley, and straight. I waited for a few seconds, and then decided to just pass them, as they were creeping along. The sun was at my back, and made it so that I wasn’t able to see the tail-lights that were above my head and not very bright to start with. As I started to pass, the beast cut me off, so I stopped. No harm, or so I thought. A very angry local farmer and his wife in the car proceeded to lecture at high volume about my type. I don’t know why, but I immediately shut the bike off and took off my helmet. I think this was beneficial, because it let them see I was just another guy; not so different than them. I could see that they really were decent people that were offended because I (and many others, from what they were saying) often used their road as a test of speed and lean angle. I put myself in their place. They had a legitimate gripe. So, I listened and didn’t even try to make my case about not seeing the flasher. Eventually they ran out of steam, I put my helmet back on, started the bike, and eased around them. I learned a few things from that experience. My enjoyment of motorcycling shouldn’t interfere with someone else’s life. People are more important than hobbies. Sometimes keeping peace is more important than being right. I’m more careful now where I sport ride, and try not to be the reason someone is having a bad day.

John B.

These comments exemplify what gives prosecutors and criminal defense attorneys heartburn. Everyone watched the same video, yet reached widely divergent conclusions. Some blame only the motorcyclist. Others blame only the car driver; and, others blame both the rider and the driver to varying degrees. Moreover, in some instances commentators couldn’t even agree on what they saw. (The same thing happened in comments to John Burns’ article and video on the Mulholland pass.)

Each person brings his/her own experience, biases, prejudices, preferences, and other baggage to every situation, and interprets objective reality consistent with that baggage. Many studies show eyewitness testimony to be very unreliable (in some cases stressed observes cannot even agree on a perpetrator’s race). Yet, juries give eyewitness testimony great weight at trial, which can lead to erroneous outcomes.

In addition, the law presumes a person’s actions result from conscious thought. In stressful situations (especially those with little time to react) some actions result from reflex, i.e., an action performed in response to a stimulus and without conscious thought. For example, if Clayton Kershaw were to throw you a high and tight fastball, your ability to avoid the ball would depend more on your reflexes than your ability to think. Similarly, when someone throws a punch at a police officer, part of the officers reaction results from reflex yet we presume his actions resulted from deliberative thought. In short, reflexive actions further complicates fact finding, which makes it more difficult to assess culpability.

I’m increasingly convinced objective reality doesn’t exist, in part, because the observer and the act of observation, in part, creates reality.

Gruf Rude

As a retired attorney who did both criminal defense and prosecution during my career, I agree. Nothing is ever bumper-sticker simple . . .

Ian Parkes

And of course the same can be said of police raids where barge in mob-handed screaming at everyone and shoving guns in their faces. That is far from conducive to wanting to go along quietly. And, by extension, that is far more to blame for people resisting arrest and gunfights than the criminals, who literally can’t help themselves. Can’t remember his name but did you see the film or interview with a cop who set up SWAT team whose record of safe arrests was blown to smithereens when more gung-ho officers took over? They made a film when that same unit killed his son in law, after ignoring his pleas to intervene and negotiate. Real-life American cop shows are a complete mindfunk to those of us who live in countries where the police prefer to talk to people first about why they are going to have to arrest them.

Sal Paradise .

Don’t run. Deal with it there. Unless you are willing to go completely nuts, its easy for any idiot with a gas pedal to catch up, and much worse.

Curtis Brandt

Hey, look, two dudes being jerks. Nothing to see here, folks, move along…

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